ON THE BUSES fan club fans meet Stephen Lewis and he was making everyone laugh and
smile with his antics as Blakey. He recounted some of events that happened in his career . There was local press and radio
in attendance and one or two other special guests

Pontins put on a very nice buffet for us and thanks to all the staff and management at Pontins for all their hard work and helping to make
the event a great success

We were even
lucky enough to have a tour around Prestatyn in the open top bus passing over the bridge where Arthur and Olive lost the luggage
in the river. Glad to say Stephen Lewis joined us on the bus along with a few other dignateries and fans.

STEPHEN LEWIS BEING INTERVIEWED BY HTV

IN HIS POCKET IS AN ON THE BUSES FANCLUB MAG

Plaque Event Pontins Prestatyn
celebrating the movie

Holiday ON THE BUSES.

Return ticket for Inspector Blakey

15/10/2004

One of Britain’s best-loved comedy stars has revealed the secret behind his most famous role – a character
more popular than James Bond.

Stephen Lewis immortalised the part of the petty-minded, foul-tempered bus inspector,
Blakey, in the classic 1970s television sit-com series, On the Buses.

Mr Lewis said: “I came from a method acting school and I decided that the guy had been a sergeant
in the army and he was used to getting his own way, yelling and screaming as they do.”

“Of course,
now in Civvy Street, he couldn’t do that so he was always frustrated. He couldn’t get his own way because these
two blokes were skylarking about. It was an eternal battle between us.”

The phenomenally popular series regularly
attracted more than 8 million viewers and ran for 74 half-hour episodes, spawning three spin-off films.

The first
of those films, also called On the Buses, was the top box office movie in Britain in 1971, out-performing James Bond in 007
Diamonds are Forever.

And the last of the series, Holiday on the Buses, was shot in the Pontin’s holiday
camp, in Prestatyn, and at various locations in the area.

The film is now being honoured as part of the North Wales
Film Trail which is being organised by the Wales Screen Commission.

More than 30 years on, Stephen Lewis will be
unveiling a commemorative plaque at the Pontin’s camp, on Friday, October 22.

The prospect of returning to
Prestatyn for the first time in three decades has already brought a host of happy memories flooding back for Mr Lewis.

He said: “We had so many laughs behind the scenes; at times it was even funnier than the show itself.”

“We were happy campers at Pontin’s. You get to know people very well when you work with them for long
period of time and on set it was very much like a family because you everybody so well.”

One incident in
particular sticks in the memory, when the production sparked a major maritime emergency.

It happened during the
filming of a key scene when a mock-up of a double-decker bus was parked on the beach.

In the story, Stan Butler
and Jack Harper are caught messing about with a couple of “birds” on the sand by their arch nemesis, Blakey.

Mr Lewis recalled: “When they looked back they saw the tide had come in and that the bus was being swamped by
the sea.”

“The director knew this was going to happen and didn’t want the real bus to be destroyed
so what they did was build a replica bus out of plywood.”

“They filmed the bus being driven onto the
beach and then made the switch before carrying on.”

“Butler and Harper were larking about and I came
along and caught them. As we were looking at it from a distance, the plywood bus started moving funnily, it toppled over on
its side and floated away.”

“They’d forgotten to put the weights in, so it floated out to sea
and we had to call the coastguard because it was a hazard to shipping!”

For the past 15 years, Mr Lewis
has been starring in another British television institution, Last of the Summer Wine, where he plays the part of Smiler.

But thanks to the advent of satellite television, On the Buses is now enjoying a revival and is attracting new fans
from around the world.

There is a very active fan club which sends out more than a thousand fanzines to the four
corners of the earth every month.

He said: It’s enjoying a new lease life and it’s popular in different
parts of the world. If I’m out walking in the West End people from all over the world come up to me to tell me how much
they like the show.”

”They love the British humour, we’re a funny sort of people because we can
take a joke against ourselves.

“It’s extraordinary that it’s still so popular today. But everyone
knows about buses and if there are still buses around in a 100 years time, they’ll still be watching On the Buses.”

“I think it’s marvellous that Holiday on the Buses is being commemorated by this plaque, it’s finally
being recognised for being something more than a sit-com.”

Richard Coombs, the Film Liaison Manager of the
Wales Screen Commission, in North Wales, said: “As a comedy actor Stephen Lewis is something of a national treasure
and we are absolutely thrilled that he has agreed to unveil the Holiday on the Buses plaque. It promises to be a truly memorable
occasion.”